Pi Day in the library 2013

All sorts of students are celebrating Pi Day (3.14) all around the world today. The day also happens to be Albert Einstein's birthday.
In our BC math curriculum, grade seven students start using the irrational number "pi" to help them calculate the circumference and area of a circle. Many students are aware of pi though and it is a significant number in mathland. There are an infinite number of decimal digits in this number, with no pattern that has been found. All sorts of computer programs have been created to analyze the digits as well as record millions of digits. There are also world record contests for those individuals who have an aptitude for memorizing. The current world record holder has memorized almost 100 000 digits of Pi and it took him two days to recite them (yes, you read that correctly!).

Students began preparing for Pi Day by searching for digits of Pi on the iPads.

 

 




Students from divisions 1 and 2 used "pi plates" to create a Pi banner for the library.

Today there were chocolate Pi cupcakes, mini cherry Pi, Pi pencils and a Cherry Pi puzzle for the 80 students who dropped into the library at lunch for Pi Day.

As the students swarmed into the library, we watched and sang along to a catchy Pi song on YouTube and then the students worked in groups to measure the diameter of circular objects from around the school and then investigate the relationship between the diameter and the circumference of the object.

We had our digit memorization contest again this year and Victor and Alyssa were our primary champions and Tina, Linda and Jacky were our intermediate champions. Alyssa and Tina were our grand Pi champions with both girls memorizing about 160 digits of Pi!

And here is a short podcast of our two grand champions reciting several digits of pi:

listen to ‘Pi Day at Blair’ on Audioboo

updated April 4, 2013: Our champions and runners-up were presented with a math award ribbon, Pi pin and a box of Smarties for being such smart students! Our grand champions also received a copy of the story, Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi.

~Ms Novakowski

Chocolate Lily Book Awards: Grandpa's Girls

For our final selection from the Chocolate Lily picture book award nominees, all the primary classes were read Grandpa's Girls by Nicola I. Campbell. This story is about four young girls who visit their Grandpa on his farm in the interior of British Columbia. Their Grandpa is very special to them - he is an elder, an aboriginal war veteran, a businessman, but most importantly he is Grandpa!

The girls have lots of adventures on the farm and find all sorts of hidden secrets including a root cellar and a room full of memories.

The older primary students were asked to make a personal connection to something fromt the story.

The younger primary students were farmers themselves after this story and planted seed potatoes for our  Spuds in Tubs program!

Some of the students' comments include:
"It was about the farm and grandpa." -by Steven, division 12
"The pictures are beautiful." -by Diana, division 10
"I like it because it sounds like it's true." -by Kai, division 10
"I like the story and it has funny and nice pictures." -by Jacob, division 11
"The underground place was interesting." -by Valerie, division 11
"There were lots of describing words." -by Aliya, division 8
"It's a good story because it's like a true story." -by Ben, division 6

A podcast from some students in division 6 can be listened to here:

listen to ‘Grandpa's Girls’ on Audioboo

After spring break, we'll be reviewing all the Chocolate Lily books and casting our votes!
~Ms Novakowski

Spuds in Tubs 2013: planting

This week students from five of our classes planted the seed potatoes in tubs in our library to start off our Spuds in Tubs program for this year! The students examined the seed potatoes and looked for beginning signs of growth. We read that we need to plant the potatoes with the sprouting parts facing up.

We emptied bags of soil into the tubs...

division 11 students empty the bag of organic soil into the tub

Mixed in a scoop of potato plant food into each tub...

a student from division 10 adds the plant food

Made little spots for each potato to be planted...

students from division 4

Planted four or five potatoes in each tub...

division 5's seed potatoes

And watered...

students from division 12 adding water to the seed potatoes and soil

When we come back from spring break, there should be plants growing from each of these little potatoes!

~Ms Novakowski

Red Cedar Book Awards 2013: more podcasts

Here are some more Red Cedar book award podcasts from grade seven students in division 1:


Totally Human by a grade 7 student who shares all sorts of fun facts about humans from this book!

listen to ‘Totally human’ on Audioboo

Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos and Pit Ponies: A History of Horse Breeds was reviewed by two grade 7 students who share why they were interested in the book and read an excerpt about a specific breed of horse.

listen to ‘Harness horses,bucking broncos & pit ponies ’ on Audioboo

The students are doing such a professional job with their podcasts!
~Ms Novakowski

Red Cedar Book Awards 2013: podcasts

Each year at Blair, the intermediate students have the opportunity to read the best of the best children's literature in British Columbia through the Red Cedar book award program. Thanks to generous financial support from the Blair PAC, this program is a long-standing tradition at Blair. Each year the students are exposed to both excellent information books and fiction titles. You can learn more about the Red Cedar program by clicking on this link HERE.

The students have been sharing about this books during their library sessions. The intermediate classes have been using the AudioBoo app on the iPads to create podcasts about books they are reading. 

Here are some podcasts you can listen to from some of our intermediate students from divisions 1:

Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World by two grade 7 students. The students make excellent personal connections and read an excerpt about how schools in Haiti were affected by the earthquake:

listen to ‘Off to class - incredible and unusual schools around the world ’ on Audioboo

Exiles from the War by a grade 7 student who shares why she likes this book that is in a diary format.

listen to ‘Exiles from the War’ on Audioboo

~Ms Novakowski

Chocolate Lily Book Awards: I Want to go to the Moon

This week the primary classes read I Want to go to the Moon written by Tom Saunders and illustrated by Cynthia Nugent. It is the loosely biographical story of Neil Armstrong and his dream of going to the moon. The students really enjoyed this book, partially because I think they could make so many personal connections. Lots of great questions came up about space travel too!

The early primary classes learned how to sign 3-2-1 Lift Off! using American Sign Language.


Comments from the students included:
I liked it when he went to the moon because his dreams came true. -by Steven, division 12
I like the rocket blastoff part. - by Francis, division 10
I like all the pages. - by Simon, division 10
I like the whole book. - by David, division 11
I like the pictures because they are colourful. - by Ethan, division 11
I like this picture book because it is colourful and the story about Neil is interesting. - by Carisa, division 8
I like the story because when Neil dreams about it, it comes true. - by Tiana, division 9
Good details in the words. It was an interesting story. He believed in himself. - by Kaz, division 6

The older primary students considered what the message or theme of the book is. Some of their ideas are:
Believe in yourself.
Your dreams can come true.
Anything is possible.

Two students from division 12 recorded the following podcast for this book:

listen to ‘I Want to go to the Moon’ on Audioboo

A student from division 6 also recorded a podcast:

listen to ‘I Want to go to the Moon’ on Audioboo

One more book left!
~Ms Novakowski